Ring.



F. S. GARISS.

RING.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6. I911. v

Patented Dec. ,3, 1918.

'WWMESSES ATTOR N EY FRANK S. GARISS, OF DILLTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

RING.

teasers.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK S. Games, a citizen of the United States. residing at Dilltown, in the county of Indiana and State of Pennsylvania, have, invented certain new and useful Improvements in Kings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in rings, and more particularly to a split ring as is adapted for use upon harness, to contain keys, or in other connections, and which ring has provision made for securement' of the ends to thus form substantially a continuous body throughout.

An object of my invention resides in' providing a ring of the character set, forth, and embodying fastening portions by which the ends of the ring are positively locked and held together when brought to a closed relation to thus absolutely preclude the pos sibility of keys or other structure held by the ring becoming accidentally displaced therefrom or of the ends of the ring spreading, the portions of the joint being so ar ranged that the inherent resiliency of the ring insures against accidental or casual release of the. joint portions.

With the above and other objects in view, which will be in part described and in part understood from the specification, drawings, and claims, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter more fully set forth. j

In the drawings Figure 1 is a View in elevation of a ring showing the preferred embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is an edge view;

Fig. 3 shows a sectional view taken through the disclosure of Fig. 1, on the line' Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevational view showing a modified form of connection for the ends of the ring; and,

Fig. 5 is an'edge view of the disclosure in Fig. 4.

The body of the ring is of spring brass or other material, or metal, which inherently possesses the desired resiliency, and at its ends the ring form of the body is extended to overlap and is reduced in the overlapping portions to present substantially half the thickness of the main portion of the body, these reduced extensions 2 and 3 being so shaped that they will overlap and Specification of Iietters Patent.

Application filed June a, 1917. Serial No. 173,158.

Patented Dec. 3, Mile.

lie sul'istantially in the manner shown in Fig.2. The ends of the reduced portions are preferably beveled on their inner sides as shown at l and 5, and thus when pressure is exerted against the body of the. ring from opposite sides, these reduced ends will be separated by reason of the fact that the beveled portions thereof will ride up on to the main thickness of the body portion.

The extension 3 is provided with an clongated slotted opening at 6, and is then slightly recessed on the outer side and at the outer end of the slotted opening to provide the hook formation as indicated at 7. A lug 8 is carried by the reduced end 2, and has a bill 9 provided thereon which is so disposed that a hook reaching toward the body portion is provided.' The lug 8 and the bill 9, which constitute the hook on the end 2, are made of such size that they will fit laterally through the slotted opening 6, and when the parts are brought to this fitted relation and the springing pressure exerted upon the sides of the body 1 is released,-the' natural resiliency of the body material will cause the ends to be forced apart to such an extent that the bill 9 will engagein the recess provided in the end 3,

Y and in consequence the two reduced ends of the body will be connected and held against being spread by force exerted laterally, or by force exerted to distend or expand the ring. When it is desired to again open the ends of the ring, compressing force is exerted upon the body of the ring from opposite sides, and the split ends will thus be contracted to such an extent that the lug 8 and the bill 9 are entirely within the slotted opening 6, following which the beveled ends 4 and 5 will ride up on to the body portion of the ring and in consequence the hook like portion of the end 2 will be disengaged from the interfitted relation with respect to the shaped portions of the end 3 to leave the split ends substantially In the form of the ring as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, a somewhat modified connection for the ends of the body is illustrated, however, this connection is pertinent to substantially the same subject matter as is contained in the preferred embodiment illustrated in the remaining figures of the drawings, in that the ends of the body portion are reduced to overlap in a spliced relation and are provided with portions of an inter-fitting connection by which these ends are held against displacement or disconnection or distending force exerted upon the ring structure. The body portion 11, of this form of the ring, has the ends 12 and 13 reduced, substantially after the manner employed in connection with the preferred embodiment, to about one half the thickness so that as these reduced ends are overlapped in a spliced relation the thickness is approximately that of the body portion. Transversely extending ribs 14 and 15 are provided on the ends 12 and 13, substantially in the disposition shown in Fig. 4, and the recesses 16 and 17 are provided transversel across the reduced portions-on the inner sides of the ribs 14 and 15 and are out under these ribs to form the same to take substantially a hook shape. When this form of ring is used, if it is desired to separate the reduced ends 12 and 13, contracting force will be exerted against the sides of the body portion 1 to cause the ribs 14 and 15 to be moved back within the recesses 16 and 17, to such an extent that the hooked portions of these ribs Will be separated and then as the beveled ends of the reduced portions ride up on to the body portion, the ribs will be freed one from the other so that as the ring is released and again springs out by its own resiliency, it will have the ends unconnected. In again connecting or joining the ends of the ring, the contracting pressure is exerted on the sides of the body and the ribs 14 and 15 are then brought into the recesses 16 and 17 through the exertion of lateral pressure upon the outer sides of the extensions 12 and 13, and as the ring is then released, its own natural resiliency causes expansion which brings the hooked portions of the ribs 14 and 15 together and holds the ends of the ring positively locked against casual or accidental displacement and separation.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a ring structure adapted for use to contain and holds keys, upon harness, as a line carrier, and in a number of other relations, which embraces a body portion of split ring form having reduced extensions at the ends thereof adapted to be received in an overlapped or spliced relation, and which ends each have a. portion of an inter-fitting joint by which the ends of the ring are connected to be held against separation by lateral pressure exerted upon the body, or through distending force exerted upon the ring as an entirety, and that through the natural resiliency of the material from which the ring is made up the parts will be maintained at all times in a relation that the portions of the inter-fitting joint will draw and hold tightly together.

While I have herein shown and described only certain specific forms of the ring and the connection therefor, it will be apparent that the ring might be made of triangular form or any other desired shape, and that various other changes and modifications might be resorted to within the scope of my invention, in view of which fact I do not wish to be limited ,to the exact disclosure but only to such points as may be set forth in the claims.

I claim I 1. A ring comprising a resilient body provided with overlapping reduced end portions, one of said end portions provided with a lug formed upon the reduced side thereof, said lug provided with a laterally extending foot projectingparallel with the sides of said ring, the other reduced end portion provided with a socket shaped to receive said lug, and said reduced end portions provided with gradually outwardly curved end portions adapted to engage said foot to cause said lug to be withdrawn from said socket as said ring is compressed.

2. As a new article of manufacture a ring comprising a resilient body provided with overlapping reduced end portions, one of said end portions provided with a lug formed upon the reduced side thereof, said lug provided with a laterally extending foot projecting parallel with the sides of said ring, said lug provided with an inclined rear face, the other reduced end portion provided with a socket shaped to receive said lug and provided with an inclined end to cooperate with the inclined portion of said lug and facilitate the withdrawal of said lug from said socket, and said reduced end portions provided with outwardly curved ends adapted to engage said foot to cause said lug to be withdrawn from said socket as said ring is compressed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK S. GARISS. Witnesses W. J. YOUNG, H. R. DILL. 

